Backstage Beauty Report: A Lesson in Fake Lashes

by Sophia Panych

Allure Staff
Allure Staff

Lots of lashes is definitely a thing in Europe this season. We saw full fringe at multiple shows in Milan and now, only a day into Paris fashion week, we've seen it again, this time at Rochas. "I love the look of no mascara because it shows off the shape of your eye, but when you emphasize your eyelashes, you just look prettier," says makeup artist Lucia Pieroni, who created the look for the show. "Mascara helps open up your eyes. It can be doll-like in a nice, cool way." That's great and all, but we all know how frustrating it can be to try and put faux lashes on yourself. Anyone who's tried it knows it can involve globs of glue and painful jabs to the eye. So I took this opportunity to get Pieroni's best fake-lash tips. Try singles. "For women, I think individual fake lashes are the easiest way to create a subtler look," says Peroni. If you do wear strips, Pieroni recommends staying away from anything too big, too long, or too winged. "Otherwise it becomes a bit drag queen-y."


Start with a good mirror. "Unless you're 20-years-old and have amazing eyesight, putting lashes on is really difficult. Maybe get yourself one of the magnifying mirrors," laughed Pieroni.

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Curl your lashes first. "This lifts the lashes and creates an anchor for them," says Pieroni. "If lashes are flat, there's nothing for the fake lashes to sit on whether you're using strips or individuals."

Get out your number twos. In my former life as a ballerina, we always bent the lashes between our fingers before placing them on our eyes, but Pieroni had a genius tip: Wrap the lash strip around a pencil before placing them--and before putting on the glue. "If the strips are straight, the sides will stick out. If you wrap them around a pencil, they will help the lashes fit to the curve of your eye," she said.

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Let the glue dry a little. "Blowing on the glue helps it dry a little so it becomes tacky. If the glue's not tacky, it will slip right off."

Don't forget to apply mascara. Apply mascara after you've got your lashes on to help blend them with your real lashes. The mascara--or a bit of black liner--can also cover up any specs of glue that may have gotten onto the lashes.

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